How To Paint A Car

If you are a motor lover, you will always want to have your vehicle in the best possible condition, something that includes not only the interior aspect, such as the engine and others, but also the paint. In this way, learning how to paint a car can be crucial for you.

The paint of the car is 50% of the aesthetics of a vehicle, since the color of the car and its perfect primer and lacquer make the difference. The problem is that the paint tends to wear off over time, due to air oxidation, scratches and blows.

The solution that they offer us is to paint the car in a workshop, something that we can say is not entirely practical. Workshops usually charge a lot to paint a car, something that means that, if your car is old, it costs more to paint the car than what it really costs.

Sheet metal and painting professionals work very well, but it is also true that not everyone has the purchasing power to resort to professional options. So, many people will have to resort to let’s say…more homemade solutions.

Since the crisis broke out, people tend to resort more to learning to paint a car, to do it themselves. Many people wonder how they can do it to save labor and just get the paint, putty and so on to do it.

The bad thing is that painting a car is not as easy as it seems and that is why the workshop charges so much for it. The good thing is that really anyone can do it with a lot of patience, with the correct guide and with enough material.

If you learn to paint a car, you will not only be able to start repairing your car when it is scratched and so on, but you will also learn to change its color when you buy a used car in one color, and you don’t like it.

If you don’t know how to paint a car, don’t worry, because you are going to learn how to paint a car step by step, in a relatively short time and if you practice and are careful, you will do it at a professional level.

What do you need to paint a car?

• Spray paint for cars
• Sandpaper
• Solvent
• Primer
• Putty
• Paint gun
• Cellophane or similar to protect the car
• Diluent
• Old clothes, mask and eye protection glasses
• Paint catalyst
• A clean and insulated garage from the outside
• Varnish for cars

Instructions for painting a car

1. Prepare the ground: The first thing we are going to do is prepare the ground to paint the vehicle. We are going to need a garage or some place like a warehouse, which must be closed and must be clean. This is done to ensure a correct lacquer, without particles sticking to the car. Professionals use isolated booths to paint, so we have to do something similar. Make sure you clean the place very well before proceeding to paint, so that you don’t have any problems lacquering. Also, make sure that it is a place with the windows closed and that no dust or particles from the outside enter, to guarantee success. Also, remember to have old clothes, glasses and a mask, to protect yourself from the toxicity of the paint and also not to spoil your good clothes.
2. Prepare the car: Before painting, we must take the opportunity to prepare and leave the car ready to paint. You have to use a sandpaper, to leave the surface polished and free of scratches. If the car has bumps or dents, we must use putty to fill so that the body completely recovers the aesthetics it had before. Try to sand and use solvent on top, to remove impurities and such, leaving the car ready. Before painting, remember to use the plaster to cover areas such as windows, wheels and others, that is, to paint only on the body, not on other elements.
3. Prime: Now before painting, we must prime the car, that is, prepare it for painting.  Apply a primer recommended by the manufacturer, in order to leave the car ready to absorb the paint in the correct way. The primer is usually applied with a gun, the same one that we will use to paint later. Make sure you completely cover the surface of the car before you start painting, in order to avoid greater evils.
4. Apply the first layer: Car paint is usually given in two layers, the first layer being 50% paint, 25% catalyst recommended by the manufacturer and 25% solvent or thinner in a monolayer. Make the mixture well, and start painting on the surface of the car, making sure that we cover the entire surface of the car well. If you have prepared the car well and you have covered the entire surface with plaster, you will be able to paint more aggressively and without any problem, that is why I have previously emphasized preparing the car for painting. Once the mixture has been applied, we must wait approximately 15 minutes before proceeding to apply the second layer, which we will explain now.
5. Apply the second layer: While it is drying, we can take the opportunity to mix the bilayer paint, which does not contain a catalyst, but simply contains 75% paint and 25% thinner. Once the first layer has dried, we are going to apply the second layer, which is the good one, that is, the one that will be seen from the outside. It is important to apply the layer carefully and with great care, so that no area of ​​our vehicle remains uncovered and thus, achieve a correct paint job.
6. Apply the varnish: Now that we have finished painting, we are going to apply the varnish, which will make the painting look shiny. The most delicate part of painting is varnishing, since it is when the particles from the outside can stick the most. For this reason, I have made so much effort so that you have the garage clean and insulated, so that when you are varnishing, there are no particles from the outside that end up with your work. Apply the varnish very carefully, trying to cover the entire surface just like the paint, and you will have it finished.
7. Dry and enjoy: Now, we have finished painting , but it does not occur to you to take the car now, if you do not want to end up with the car in a mess. Just like when we paint the house, we have to wait for it to dry. Since we don’t have heat guns or anything like that, we’ll have to wait about 24 hours until it’s completely dry. Try to leave the car inside the garage clean and without driving around all day, so that the dirt does not stick to the paint and remains completely isolated. Once it’s finished, admire your new car, which is now ready to be driven and show off your new color.
8. Alternatives: If you don’t dare to paint and you only have light scratches, you can use some small pencils that are sold in the teleshopping, which serve to make superficial scratches less visible. This way, if you don’t want to paint the car, you can at least clean up your vehicle a bit.